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About the Costa de la Luz
Costa de la Luz, located in the south west corner of Spain, extends from Tarifa in the South all the way to the Portuguese border. It can be divided into three sections.
The southern area, from Tarifa to Conil has long sandy beaches and the small towns of Zahara de los Atunes and Barbate are popular with surfers and sailing enthusiasts
who enjoy the robust Atlantic waves and breezes characteristic of the area.
The most westerly region extends from the Guadalquivir River, through Huelva to Ayamonte and Portugal. It is largely undeveloped, with
the exception of one or two purpose built resorts such as La Isla Canela.
The central section, from Sanlúcar de Barrameda on the Guadalquivir River includes Chipiona, El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz and
Chiclana de la Frontera. This is an easily accessible region with UK flights landing in Jeréz, Sevilla, Gibraltar, Malaga or Faro.
It is an area that has something for everyone. Sanlúcar, Chipiona, Rota and El Puerto are old fishing towns where seafood restaurants
and tapas bars abound. ‘Romerijo’ in El Puerto sells freshly cooked fish and shellfish by weight and these are eaten from paper cones at the table, with the dry local wine a perfect accompaniment. Novo Sancti Petri near Chiclana and Costa Ballena, outside Chipiona are modern beach resorts both centred around a golf course.
The Bay of Cádiz is ideal for sailing and water sports. And, of course, there is an abundance of golden beaches.
Puerto Sherry (photo) has 753 moorings, ancilliary services, a sailing school and a scuba diving school.
Culture
The Cathedral in El Puerto (photo) dates back to the 15th century and is a faovorite nesting place with storks.
- Cádiz is reputedly the oldest town in Spain,
- Christopher Columbus stayed in the castle in El Puerto before setting off for the Americas
- Jeréz is the capital of Flamenco music – visit the tablao flamenco in Summer and enjoy a feast of music and dance
- El Puerto has one of the oldest bullrings in Spain
- The 13th century Castillo de Luna in Rota was built on the site of a Moorish convent.
Weather
The climate is mild with short winters and plenty of sunshine which allows visitors and residents to spend lots of time out of doors – strolling along the long sandy beaches, playing golf, sailing, taking part in one of the many local fiestas or just sitting on the terrace of a bar, enjoying the local food and wine.
Festivals
Feria which takes place in May/June is a major event in most towns - a time for residents to don their colourful flamenco costumes and parade around the feria ground, many on horseback. It is an opportunity to meet friends, enjoy tapas and the local dry sherries, fino or manzanilla and to dance sevillanas to the accompaniment of the andaluz music which pulsates in every tent. And there are many more festivals and celebrations : the February Carnaval in Cádiz, Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Sevilla, La Feria de Primavera (Spring festival) in El Puerto, Sanlúcar’s horse races along the beach in July and the September wine festival in Jeréz. There is never a dull moment.
What to See
This is an excellent base for touring, with Sevilla, Gibraltar, Arcos de la Frontera and the Pueblos Blancos all within a day’s drive. And locally, you can tour the sherry bodegas of El Puerto and Jeréz, take a ferry across the bay from El Puerto to historic Cádiz, wander through the narrow streets of the old town centres, see the horses perform at the Royal Andalucian Equestrian School in Jeréz or visit the renowned Dońana nature reserve on the Guadalquivir.
Golf Courses
Marinas
- Sancti Petri
- El Puerto de Santa María
- Rota
Sherry Bodegas
Information About the Region
The following websites will give you more information :
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